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cetes, has the seed-bearing organs enclosed in a membran- 

 ous covering, like the stomach of an animal, whence the 

 name. This order contains sixty-one genera in this 

 country, and only about three hundred species ; one genus 

 alone (Sphseria) containing two hundred species. The 

 stinkhorn, the truffle, the bird's-nest fungus, and the puff- 

 ball, are familiar examples of this order. The third sub- 

 order is called Hyphomycetes, or web-like fungi, because 

 the spores are developed on naked filaments, whose ter- 

 minal cells are often transformed into a series of spores, 

 like a row of beads. The general appearance of the plants 

 belonging to this order, is that of a quantity of dust-like 

 seeds imbedded in a flaky cottony substance, like a spider's 

 web. The different kinds of common mould, blue, yellow, 

 and green, the grape Oidium, and the red cheese mould, 

 are common examples of this class. It contains only 

 thirty-three British genera, and only about a hundred 

 species, the largest genus containing only nine species. 

 The fourth and last sub-order is called Coniomycetes, or 

 dust fungi, because the spore-cases are produced beneath 

 the epidermis of plants, or the matrix in which they are 

 developed, in the form of a minute collection of dust, en- 

 tirely destitute of any covering or receptacle, except that 

 which is furnished by the skin of the plant raised around 

 it. This class is the simplest and least organized of the 

 fungi, but it is nevertheless the most destructive of the 

 whole tribe. It contains sixteen genera, and upwards 

 of one hundred and sixty-seven species, three genera 

 alone containing respectively thirty-eight, thirty-one, and 

 sixty-three species. Mildew, smut, bunt, and rust, are 

 too familiar examples of this most notorious class. 



